Briefs/World

October 06, 2006

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Butler gets reprieve

Butler's struggling football program, winless last year and 5-38 the past four seasons, was given a reprieve Thursday following recommendations from a study panel and first-year coach Jeff Voris. The university has begun addressing the recommendations, which include increasing salaries and upgrading facilities for the Division I-AA program, athletic director Barry Collier said. "We are dedicated to building our football program into one that can not only compete in the Pioneer Football League but indeed become a championship-seeking program," Collier said. Last year, Butler appointed a 15-member commission to look at the program and fired coach Kit Cartwright, who was 7-36 in four years with the Bulldogs. Voris, a four-year starting quarterback at DePauw, was hired after five seasons as the coach at Carroll College in Wisconsin. A 30-20 win over Hanover last month snapped an 18-game losing streak, which at the time was tied for the longest in Division I. The Bulldogs are 2-3 this season. NBA

Carlisle contract extended

Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle signed a multiyear contract extension Thursday and added a new title as executive vice president of basketball operations. "I was confident that we'd come to some kind of an agreement," said Carlisle, who is entering his fourth year with the Pacers. "Things worked out well. I think it shows we've got a common vision for the team, not only this year but for the future of the franchise." Carlisle, who is 146-100 in three seasons, said the executive title surprised him. "Part of the agreement is an opportunity at some point to join the front office if I want to do that," he said. "That's a very unusual gesture to make, and me and my family are very appreciative of it." Indiana is coming off a disappointing, injury-plagued 41-41 season that ended with a first-round playoff exit. Team president Larry Bird said in May that Carlisle needed to instill more discipline and get more out of his players. Carlisle has reached the playoffs in each of his three seasons. TENNIS

Federer downs Moodie

Top-ranked Roger Federer cruised to a 6-2, 6-1 win over defending champion Wesley Moodie on Thursday to advance to the Japan Open quarterfinals. Federer established control early, breaking Moodie to go up 4-2 in the first set and serving five aces before beating the 13th-seeded South African in only 52 minutes. Federer will face Takao Suzuki, who defeated Alexander Waske 6-7 (4), 7-6 (10), 6-1. Suzuki, coming off a shoulder injury, is playing in his first ATP tournament since the Australian Open. Second-seeded Tommy Robredo defeated Vince Spadea 6-4, 7-6 (9) and will face Lee Hyung-taik, who beat Dmitry Tursunov 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. In other third-round matches, Jarkko Nieminen downed Juan Monaco 6-2, 6-3, and Benjamin Becker saved a match point to edge Jiri Novak 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4) in a match that ended at 3:24 a.m., the latest finish in ATP history. BOXING

Valuev weighs 328

Nikolai Valuev strode to the weigh-in for his WBA heavyweight title defense against Monte Barrett while a crowd watched outside the Sears Tower. "He's huge," some bellowed. "Whoa!" said others, as the 7-footer -- the largest heavyweight champion in history -- approached the scale outside the nation's tallest building. Valuev (44-0, 32 knockouts) kept on his black T-shirt and blue jeans as he weighed in at 328 pounds -- about 100 more than his opponent -- for Saturday's defense at Allstate Arena in Rosemont. A stripped-down Barrett (31-4, 17 knockouts), looking fit and trim, was just under 229. This will be the first defense and third fight in the United States for Valuev, who won the belt with a disputed decision over John Ruiz in Berlin last December. The Russian scored a third-round knockout over Jamaican challenger Owen Beck in Hanover, Germany, in June. Barrett has not fought since dropping a unanimous 12-round decision to Hasim Rahman at the United Center in August 2005.